Friday, March 25, 2011

The King of Kings Wants His Money Back (Jalopnik)

Eight U.S.-built C-130 Hercules military transports bought by Libyaare sitting in a field on the grounds of Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Georgia. Moammar Gaddafi bought the planes but, when politics shifted, the U.S. military grounded them. Now the crazy dictator wants a $70 million refund.

The planes are the ultimate ran-when-parked proposition, appearing to have not been used in the last 30+ years. Though they technically belong to the Libyan government, who purchased them in the early 1970s, the current military action in the country and the "no fly zone" make it unlikely they'll be leaving any time soon.

It's also unlikely the DOD's going to be giving a refund to Gaddafi, even if he wants one. They say it's up to Gaddafi to find a buyer for the aircraft, though he hasn't even tried to put them up on eBay or anything yet.

There's a chance they can be sold for scrap if they're non-functional. A local aircraft museum needs a C-130 and maybe, just maybe, Gaddafi's crazy enough to give them one. It's a write-off, isn't it?